


Hidden Behind Your Eyes

by missingsomefeathers05



Category: Bobby Singer - Fandom, Dean Winchester - Fandom, Sam Winchester - Fandom, Supernatural, Supernatural Fan Fiction - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Hidden Behind Your Eyes, Hunters, Supernatural - Freeform, Supernatural Hunters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-27
Updated: 2015-12-16
Packaged: 2018-04-01 13:31:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4021699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missingsomefeathers05/pseuds/missingsomefeathers05
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Annie Singer has always been different from others - but when she is attacked by a pack of vampires looking for her uncle, her life changes entirely. She is thrust into the world of hunting, and everything that goes with it - vampires, demons, all mythical creatures one doesn't want to believe are real. </p>
<p>After a few years of being a hunter, Annie finally gets in touch with her uncle, Bobby Singer. She begins to travel with him, and meets the Winchester boys along the way. </p>
<p>She is prepared for anything that's thrown her way - or so she thought.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work of fiction, thought up in my own mind. This is loosely based off of the show, with my own characters thrown in. It does not follow any specific season, and I take no ownership of anything but this story. Certain characters (such as Annie Singer) are entirely my own, but the well-known characters are under the ownership of the show Supernatural and are under copy write. This is simply just my fanfiction. 
> 
> Enjoy! (:
> 
> xo, Maye.

As soon as my Baby purrs to life, I know that I'm on my way. Trunk loaded with weaponry, passenger seat loaded with snack and sweets, and my brain full of wonder and confidence, I drive down the highway towards South Dakota from dreary Ohio.  
Not knowing what to expect, I blast music and roll down the windows to try to push out the thoughts of worry.   
If only Five Finger Death Punch could stab the shit out of my fears right now.  
"It's not so much fear, just anxiety..." I say to the steering wheel with the faded Transformers Decepticons sticker in the center.  
"I feel like running away, I'm still so far from home. You say that I'll never change, but what the fuck do you know?! I'll burn it all to the ground, before I let you in - "  
As I'm singing along with Ivan, I'm interrupted by my phone buzzing in the cup holder.   
"Hello?" I say with a sigh.   
"Annie, I have somethin - wait, are you driving?!" Uncle Bobby's sarcasm and disbelief seeps through the speaker of my phone.   
"Uncle Bobby, how do you expect me to get to your house?" I ask exasperated.   
I hear him sigh, but he puts this current issue aside.   
"Anyway, I know you're on your way, but I am just warning you. As you pass through Illinois, be sure not to go through the deserted cities. That's where vampires like to build their nests." I hear him say "balls" angrily, and my heart freezes.  
"Uncle Bobby?"   
"Sorry Annie, but I've got company. Where are you right now?"   
"I literally just left the state of Ohio, so I'll be there in about 15 hours. Be sure to have coffee brewed for me when I get there."   
"Yeah, yeah"   
And at that, our cozy family conversation ended.   
Well, looks like I'm gonna have to be cautious in Illinois... BALLS. 

"Uncle Bobby, I have no idea where you're at. You wanted me to meet you at that little diner, right?" I ask while I'm sitting in the parking lot.   
"Yeah. Where are you?"   
"In the fucking parking lot." I sneer.   
"Wow, watch with the language chicky. Okay, I'm not there, but two people I sent to meet you are. Do you see an Impala anywhere in the parking lot?"   
I glance around, but then stop, feeling like a total idiot.   
"Uncle Bobby... I DRIVE a red Impala..."  
"No, I mean a black one, ya dingus."   
I sigh, then twist in my seat to check out the parking lot.   
"Is it a '67?" I ask.   
"That's it. Alright, when you walk in, just go up to the bar and ask for Dean. You'll be set from there."  
I smile, knowing I can trust Uncle Bobby.   
"Thanks Uncle Bobby. I'll call you whenever I'm about ready to leave to your place."   
"Oh before you go - what year is your Impala?" He asks.   
 Since when has he cared?  
"It's a '69" I say, and prepare for his immature laughter, but it doesn't come. Instead, I hear him just chuckle, then hang up the phone.   
With a sigh, I climb out of the front seat and walk to the trunk. Babycakes has a secret hideyhole for me, and I always make sure she stays in shape because of it. I hook a military knife to the inside of my boot, and sling my old-fashioned and worn out black leather backpack over my shoulder, and take a deep breath.   
"Well, here it goes..."   
When I open the diner's door, I'm taken aback. I've never seen a diner with an actual bar, but here it is, right in front of my eyes. I glance around, but see nothing out of the ordinary.  
I guess I'll order myself a drink while I wait.  
I slide onto a bar stool, only to be greeted by one of the most adorable bartenders I've ever seen in my life. This lady must be at least 70 years old, with a grandma-like smile across her face.   
"What can I get ya, darlin'?" She asks.   
"I'll have a Coke with coconut rum, on the rocks, please. And some cheese fries." I smile at her, and she blushes.   
"Coming right up, honey." She smiles and scurries back to the back.   
"Cheese fries, huh? Y' know, the pie is pretty good here," I hear someone say from beside me. I look to my left to see a guy with break-taking blue-green eyes, a gorgeous face, and a playful smile across his face.   
"Is it now? I might have to try that. I'm a huge fan of pie," I say and take a sip of my drink.  
"Really? Me too! I-I mean, yeah, it's pretty delicious." He says with an awkward shift in position.   
I don't hesitate to hide my smile as I stir my drink.   
"So, you seem new here. What's your name?" He asks, all charm.   
"Does it really show that much? Huh, that sucks. Well, anyway, my name is Annie; Annie Singer. And yours?" I ask, offering my hand for him to shake.   
"Annie... Annie SINGER? You did say Singer, right?" He says, baffled.   
"Uh... yeah, why?" I say, laughing awkwardly.   
"Any chance you're related to a Bobby Singer?" He asks, composed.   
"Yeah, he's my uncle. He was supposed to meet me here, but he sent two others instead because I guess he got really busy. I'm from Ohio," When I notice that I'm rambling, I quickly shutup and start fiddling with my drink some more.  
"Well, Annie, I happen to be one of those people you're looking for. My name is Dean; Dean Winchester," He says and this time offers his hand for ME to shake.   
Feeling stupid, I grab his hand awkwardly as the bartender sets my cheese fries in front of me.  
"Here ya are, dear. Oh, don'tcha worry about Dean, he's harmless." She smiles, and walks on to the other customers.   
"Well, not necessarily 'harmless', but ya know... Depends on what ya like," He says and winks at me.   
I awkwardly smile, and focus on my cheese fries. After a few moments of silence, I turn to him.   
"So Uncle Bobby told me I'm meeting two people here, not just one..." I begin.   
He doesn't say anything for a few minutes, just stares off into space.   
"Dean...?"  
"Sorry, it just sounds weird to hear someone say 'Uncle Bobby'" he grins.  
I pop another cheese fry in my mouth, waiting for him to continue.   
"Yeah, so we're just waiting on my brother, Sam. He's been... slightly preoccupied." He says and rolls his eyes.   
At my confused look, Dean just pointed to the bathrooms.   
I nod, acknowledging that I understand.   
Couldn't he just say he was taking a shit?  
Just a moment later, another guy comes in and sits down on the other side of Dean.   
"Please don't tell me that you're making Mia bake another pie just for you," the other guys says and smiles at her from the other end of the bar.   
Dean clears his throat and says, "Sammy, we have a guest," Dean gestures toward me with his head.   
"O-Oh," he says, then approaches me.   
"I'm sorry - sometimes, my brother..."  
"No, it's okay. Dean and I have gotten acquainted while you were preoccupied," I say and giggle.     
"What - What did he tell you?" Sammy asks me nervously.   
"N-nothing, Sammy. Let's focus on other things." Dean says and smiles.   
"This is Annie, the girl Bobby wanted us to meet here. You know, Annie Singer," He says then glances at Sammy for a reaction.  
Sammy's eyes go wide, and I feel my face flush.   
He's tall, at least 6 foot, with brown long hair that reaches to his chin, hazel eyes, and a smile that takes my breath away.   
"Annie, I'm Sam, Dean's younger brother. It's nice to meet you," he says and shakes my hand.   
I can feel my face get even more red.  
"Likewise," I say trying to keep composure. Although I'm a hunter, I am also a very awkward person. I may be graceful while hunting, but other tasks? Yeah not so much.   
"So Bobby is your uncle?" Sam asks, sitting on the other side of me.   
"Yeah, has been my entire life. It's just that I haven't really gotten to know him until about six years ago," I say.   
"Well, he's really excited to see you. Bobby isn't necessarily the lovey dovey type, but I think you have a soft spot in his heart, Annie." Dean says.   
"If it's because of the other Annie, then I'd rather not have that soft spot," I say, grossed out.   
Sam and Dean freeze, which makes me laugh.   
"Yes, I know who the other Annie is." I laugh and wave to the new bartender to refill my drink. Mia must be on break.   
"Anyway, Bobby has been talking about you nonstop for the last few months since you said you were coming," Sam says.   
"Although, he did describe you quite differently," Dean says.   
"Oh, did he? How so?" I ask, excited to see what he has to say.   
"Well, uh - you know, not..." he hesitates, but I consistently stare at him.  
"He didn't say you were... a short, beautiful girl that wears bright red lipstick and has long brown hair." Dean says.   
I feel my face flush again, but nowhere near as bad as when I first saw Sam.   
"O-oh, uhm... thanks." I say awkwardly.   
The bartender sets my drink in front of me and smiles.   
"So, how much do you know..?" Sam asks.   
"About?" I ask after taking a sip of my drink.   
"Us - hell - demons, vampires, leviathans, etc." Dean says.   
"I know all of it, except for leviathans." I say.   
Sam and Dean exchange a look, but say nothing.   
"What?" I ask nervously.  
"Nothing," they say in unison.   
"We'll explain everything when we get to Bobby's," Sam says.   
I take the final sip of my drink, and nod.   
"I'm ready when you guys are." I say with a smile.   
Dean hops up from the bar stool and smiles.   
"Great! Now it's time for you to meet Baby," He says.   
"Baby?" I mouth to Sam and he just rolls his eyes.   
We step outside into the chilly air and walk up to the black Impala I saw earlier.  
"Hey Baby," Deans says lovingly to the car and runs his fingertips across the front.   
"Sorry, Dean's quite attached to this car," Sam says with a nervous chuckle.   
"Oh, no worries, I'm the same with mine," I say.   
"With... yours?" Sam asks while Dean says, "WITHYOURS?!"   
I laugh, then point behind me.   
"You see that red beauty behind me? She's mine." I say and wink. A smile of pride stretched across my face.  
"M-May I..?" Dean asks.   
"Be gentle," I say and wink.   
"Only if you ask," Dean winks back then rushes to my Baby.   
"Oh, she's so beautiful. You're a beautiful Baby, aren't you?" Dean starts talking to her.   
"You have no idea what you've just done," Sam says and rubs his forehead.   
"Ehh, it's okay. I would have reacted the same way if I hadn't seen his before I walked into the diner," I say with a smile.   
"What's her name?" Dean asks from the passenger side.   
"CeeCee," I say lovingly.   
"OOHHHHHHH She's a '69!!" Dean exclaims.   
I see Sam chuckle out of the corner of my eye. I glance at him, and as soon as we make eye contact, he stops.   
"Baby is a - "  
"'67" I say mid-sentence.   
"She knows cars... Oh, we're going to be great friends," He says and grins at me. 

After a few more minutes of adoring CeeCee, we are back on the road. Dean made Sam ride with me, so he could "listen to his music." At first I didn't realize Dean was serious, until I actually asked Sam about it.   
When I turned on FFDP, Sam kinda just sat back and took it like a man.   
"Hey, listen, if you don't like it, I can change it. Just know, that it has to be something I like as well," I say and glance over to him.   
He looks at me, astonished.   
"What?" I asked.   
"Dean has this thing... 'driver chooses the music and the shotgun shuts is cakehole'" Sam quotes.   
I giggle, which makes him chuckle with me.   
"Honestly, as long as I like it, or you AT LEAST give my music a chance, then it's cool with me." I say.   
"Just because you're so much cooler than he is when it comes to this, I can deal with your music."  
"Yeah, Ivan is pretty fucking awesome if you ask me." I say with a smile.   
"Far From Home" is playing.   
"I'm guessing from your facial expression you don't like Five Finger Death Punch.." I say.   
Sam doesn't say anything for a moment, then smiles.   
"It's actually not that bad. It sort of makes me feel like a badass." Sam says with a smile.   
"You bet your ass!" I say and giggle. 

When we finally get to Uncle Bobby's, I find myself shaking. I can handle vampires, demons, werewolves, and the like, but seeing my uncle for the first time since I was a child makes me feel like I'm going to explode at any moment.   
"Hey, don't be nervous. Bobby is nervous too. You guys will click instantly," Sam says and rests his hand on my shoulder. As soon as he does this, he removes his hand. I walk forward toward the door so he can't see how red my face is.   
I go to knock, but Dean just barges right in past me.   
"Bobby!" He shouts.   
"Bobby?" Sam shouts.   
"BOBBY!" Dean shouts again.   
"I'm coming, ya idgits!" I hear Uncle Bobby shout from the next room.   
When he finally appears in the kitchen, he glances at the guys then his eyes lock on me.   
"Annie..." He says. He stares for a moment, then runs forward and wraps his arms around me.   
"Oh Annie, I've been so worried about you," he says into my hair.   
"I'm happy to see you too Uncle Bobby," I say and squeeze him back.  
When he pulls back to look at me, Sam notices the scar on the left side of my neck.   
"What happened?" He asks gently.   
"Well, it's actually a long story..." I say.   
That means I don't want to talk about it.  
Dean shuts the fridge door and has four beers, two in each hand.   
"We've come prepared." He says and smiles.


	2. Two.

Sitting at the table, I wait impatiently for the coffee to finish brewing. It's been a few hours since we arrived at Uncle Bobby's, and all Uncle Bobby has talked about is how I shouldn't be a hunter, that it's dangerous, etc.  
Like I don't know that?!  
"Uncle Bobby, just listen!" I say after about ten minutes of his rambling.  
He freezes mid-sentence, and stares at me.  
"I am a hunter, and a damn good one at that, so as harsh as this might sound, you're just going to have to accept it. Just as I have to accept that you are a hunter." I say and lean back in my chair.  
To be honest, I feel sort of bad for snapping and being rude, but he has to realize that just because he lectures me, that doesn't mean it's going to change things.  
"Listen Uncle Bobby, you know what happened to me and why I am now a hunter, please, just don't talk to me like it's all my fault?" I rest my head in my hands.  
Everything is silent, until someone sets a coffee mug next to me on the table. I peer up, to see Sam smiling at me, understanding.  
"I'm sorry Annie," is all Uncle Bobby says.  
"I just don't want to see anything bad happen to ya," He says and kneels down beside me.  
"Oh Uncle Bobby, you don't have to worry about that. After all, you said you have weapons I can use, and I'm sure Sam and Dean here will be more than willing to help me out and see how skilled I am." I say and wink at the boys.  
Uncle Bobby just shrugs and sighs. He's finally come to the realization that he can't change the past and where it's taken me.

After Sam, Dean and I lugged my whopping two bags in from Baby, I collapse on the couch.  
"You know, for a girl, you don't have very many bags.." Dean says when he walks back into the living room.  
"I don't have much, honestly. As it is, most of the things in those bags are weapons that I wanted to have on hand. That, and snacks." I say.  
Dean doesn't believe me, and looks at me with disbelief.  
"Don't believe me? Go ahead and take a look for yourself." I say, exhausted.  
Dean chuckles and heads back into my new room where my bags are.  
"SHE WASN'T KIDDING!" I hear him yell from the other room.  
I laugh, and smile up at Sam while he is handing me a mug filled with fresh coffee. He plops down on the couch next to me, probably also exhausted.  
"So, you only brought weapons and snacks with you?"  
I nod, leaning back on the couch.  
"What about clothes?" Sam asks after a moment.  
I sit for a moment... and realize that I didn't even bring any clothes with me. I was so worried about my weapons and if I'd starve on the drive over here that I don't have any clothing.  
"Shit." I say, which makes Sam laugh.  
"What's wrong?" Uncle Bobby asks as he walks into the "living room."  
"Annie here forgot to bring clothes..." Sam says and chuckles again.  
"How the hell did you forget to bring clothes?!" He asks, taken aback.  
"I packed weapons and snacks. I thought I had put the packed bag of clothes in Baby, but I guess I forgot." I say with a shrug.  
"So, what's she gonna wear?!" Uncle Bobby exclaims.  
"What's who gonna wear?" Dean asks as he comes back in the room, a bag of my Cheetos in his hand.  
I glare at him, but he just nods at me.  
"Annie forgot her bag of clothes, so she has nothing to wear," Sam says.  
Dean glances at me and winks.  
"Cut it out, Dean!" Uncle Bobby says.  
"You know I'm sure Jo has some clothes she can borrow for now." Sam suggests.  
"They won't be able to get here until at least two days," Uncle Bobby says and rubs his face with the palm of his hand.  
"Guys, seriously, it's okay. I can just wear this for now. We'll figure everything out later," I say, getting sleepy.  
"You can't just wear that for two days straight, Annie," Uncle Bobby says in a fatherly voice.  
I roll my eyes, but say nothing in return.  
"You can borrow some of my clothes if you'd like," Sam offers after a moment.  
Dean glares at Sam.  
"She can borrow mine, if she needs to," Dean counters.  
"I get it, I can borrow both of your clothes, thanks. I'll just need a shirt and pants for tonight. We can figure everything else out in the morning," I say.  
"I'll grab a shirt for you, and Dean, since you're shorter than me, can you get Annie a pair of sweats?" Sam says with a grin.  
"Hey, a cute girl wearing my pants? I'm not complaining," Dean says and walks back down the hallway.  
"Thanks guys, I really appreciate it," I say with a yawn.  
"I think it's time for you to get a shower and get to bed, kiddo," Uncle Bobby says.  
"A shower... sounds nice," I say, half asleep already.  
"Alright, c'mon!" Sam says and grabs my arm.  
"What?!" I say as he yanks me up from the couch.  
"I have to get your a shirt, Dean is getting you some sweats, and I'm going to show you where the bathroom is so you can take a shower." Sams replies as if I should already know what his plan was.  
I simply nod, and smile at Uncle Bobby as we leave the room.  
"Okay, here are the sweats, red ones so you can match CeeCee," Dean says with a child-like smile.  
I smile, and feel my stomach turn at their kindness.  
"Here's a shirt for you too," Sam says and hands me a white button down shirt.  
"Dude, you don't have any plain t-shirts?" Dean asks after seeing the shirt.  
"They're all dirty," Sam says with a shrug.  
"No, guys, these are fine, really. I'm just going to sleep in them anyway, so it doesn't matter. I'm gonna go take a shower now, guys. So please, keep Uncle Bobby company? I think he's gonna lose his mind because he knows I'm a hunter now. I know he never wanted me to be a part of this life." I say and glance away from them.  
"Of course," Dean says, suddenly serious.  
"We'll be in the living room if you need anything," Sam says and smiles.  
I nod and smile my thanks, and head into the bathroom.  
For my Uncle Bobby, it's a fairly big bathroom that's actually decorated. I'm not complaining.  
I take a deep breath and slowly start to take off my clothes. I've been wearing these clothes for almost two days now, so I'm thankful that I have some big comfy clothes to change into.  
I stand in front of the mirror in my bra and underwear, staring at my reflection. I don't understand what Dean saw as "beautiful." I have scars all over my body, including the super obvious one the vampire left, my nails always seem to flake, and no matter what I do, my hair never listens to me. With a sigh, I comb through my hair with my fingers, then turn around and turn the water on. As the bathroom starts to fog up, someone knocks on the door.  
Really?!  
"Yeah?" I shout at the door.  
"Just so you know, there's some lady-smelling soaps and whatnot under the sink in case you wanna use 'em. Jo and Ellen leave some here just in case," Sam says through the door.  
I smile and thank him quickly before turning toward the shower once again.  
Once I remove the rest of my clothing, I step into the hot shower and feel my entire body relax. All the tension that I've been putting on myself slowly melts away. I rinse my hair out, and slowly, the realization hits me:  
I'm not alone anymore.

Towel in hand, I walk down the hallway, where I can hear Uncle Bobby talking some lore mumbo-jumbo.  
Giving my hair a final squeeze with the towel, I smile as I walk into the room.  
"Hey guys, what's goin' on?" I ask and throw the towel on the table.  
"Not much, just some typical demon stuff," Uncle Bobby says and sifts through some ancient old book of his.  
"Apparently there are cases of demons just the next town over," Dean says and takes a slug from his beer.  
"You guys are aware that it's almost 3am, right?" I ask.  
I look at each one of them, but they don't seem to hear me.  
"Don't worry about it, Bobby. Sam and I can take care of it within a few hours. We'll be back here in no time," Dean says and stands up.  
"Wait, what about me?" I ask and follow them into the kitchen.  
"You're not going anywhere. You're staying here with me to rest up," Uncle Bobby says stubbornly. I look to the boys for support, but I can tell they're on my uncle's side this time.  
With a sigh, I walk over to the fridge.  
"Fine, I guess I'll just stay here and stuff my face," I say and lean against the fridge.  
They all stare at me, and Uncle Bobby just points to the living room.  
"See ya guys. Be careful, okay?" I say with a smile then trudge into the living room.  
I collapse once again on the couch, and within minutes, I'm fast asleep.

I wake up to the sound of the door creaking shut and feet shuffling across the bare floor. I glance up to see Sam and Dean trying to tip-toe their way past me.  
"Guys," I say.  
At the same time, they both jump and point weapons in my direction.  
"Wow what the fuck?!" I shout in surprise.  
"Annie? Oh, jeez. Sorry," Dean says.  
"You scared the crap out of us," Sam says and lowers his shotgun.  
"Yeah well your salt shotgun isn't gonna do much to me except hurt like a bitch. Sorry I scared you guys," I say and rise from the couch.  
"Why are you on the couch? Why aren't you in your room?" Dean asks as he walks back in from the kitchen.  
"I must have fallen asleep here on the couch, and Uncle Bobby just didn't wake me up." I say and quickly tie my hair back.  
"He didn't want to wake you because he knows how tired you must be," Sam says.  
"Eh, I've gone through worse. So how was it?" I ask with a smile.  
"Your typical demons terrorizing people, nothing special. We took care of it quickly. Honestly the longest part was driving there and back," Dean says and plops down on the couch.  
"Anyway, we should probably explain some things, Annie." Sam says, completely serious.  
"Uhm... Okay?" I say confused.  
"Do you know who Castiel is?" Dean asks.  
"I mean, Uncle Bobby has mentioned the name, but that's about as far as it's gone. Why?"  
"Well, I guess now's the time for you to meet him," Dean says.  
"Hey Cas! Can ya hear me? We've got someone we want ya to meet! So can ya come on down here and chat?" Dean shouts to the air.  
"U-Uh..." I stutter, still confused.  
"You called?" I hear a deep voice say from behind me.  
I spin on my heel to see a man with a long beige trenchcoat, dark blue tie, white button up shirt, and matching pants. He has short dark hair, and a straight facial expression.  
"Hey Cas, this is who we want you to meet. Annie, this is Castiel; Castiel, this is Annie, Bobby's niece." Sam says and gestures between the two of us.  
I stare in awe, unaware of what I could possibly say.  
"Hello Annie, I'm Castiel, an angel of the Lord." He says and offers me his hand.  
Numb, I slowly reach my hand up to shake his.  
"Is she... alright?" Cas asks, slightly concerned.  
"Yeah I think she's just in shock right now is all. Giver her a minute," Dean says.  
When I finally broke out of my trance, I smile up at Cas.  
"It's really nice to finally meet you," I say and hug him around his shoulders.  
Cas responds with a shocked "ooff!" when I smack into him, but then he chuckles and awkwardly wraps his arms around my shoulders. Very awkwardly, actually.  
"So, Annie, you're Bobby's niece?" Cas asks, clearing his throat.  
"Yeah," I say with a shrug.  
"Why haven't you been brought up in previous conversations?" Cas asks.  
"U-Uhm... I have no idea... Maybe because Uncle Bobby just found out that I'm a hunter?" I suggest.  
"You're a hunter?" Cas asks, then looks at me with disbelief.  
"Yes, why?"  
"You are just so tiny, and fragile," He says and walks around me in a circle slowly.  
"Cas, let's not make her feel uncomfortable now," Dean says and rolls his eyes.  
"No, no it's okay. I don't look to be a hunter, I know." I say and feel myself blush.  
"Hunters blush?" Cas points out.  
"So, Annie, how about we see how great a hunter you are tomorrow? You can come with Sammy and I to hunt down some vamps. Sound cool?" Dean says with his classic charming smile.  
"Sounds great!" I say.  
After we distinguish a time to wake up and head out, I make my way back to my new room. The bed is actually made, and there's a note laying on my pillow.  
"Annie, I know you think I worry too much, but that's just the uncle in me. Sam and Dean... those boys are like my own kids, and I'll do anythin' for 'em. Same goes for you. If you decide to go with 'em tomorrow, be careful, ya hear? Remember, I'm here for ya. Now get some rest, you have a big day ahead tomorrow. Love ya kiddo. Uncle Bobby."  
I smile and set the note underneath the lamp's light on the bedside table. As I snuggle into bed, I hear a swooshing sound.  
That must have been Cas.  
Slowly, I close my eyes and imagine what tomorrow will be like.  
I've been in the mood to gank some vamps lately.


	3. Three.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guys finally take Annie out on a hunt; they get way more than they expected.

"Okay, so we have basically everything," Sam says while looking in the trunk of Dean's Baby.   
"'Basically' doesn't mean everything, Sam," Dean says and throws a backpack in the trunk then slams it shut.   
I flinch as the trunk lid makes contact.   
"How can you just slam her like that?" I ask and walk over to CeeCee and pat her driver's window gently.   
"Ah, baby can handle it. After all, I've rebuilt her more than once," Dean says and leans against CeeCee's trunk.   
I look at Sam, who just nods and shrugs.   
"Okay, so you idgits got everything ya need?" Uncle Bobby says and hands me a bottle of water.   
"I do, I don't know about the boys here," I say and begin to chug the water.   
"Ah, we'll be fine, Bobby. Annie here has her weight in Jesus juice, and Sammy grabbed plenty of stakes. Plus I have the knife," Dean says and flashes the blade at Uncle Bobby.   
"What does that do, exactly?" I ask, confused.   
The three men stare at me in astonishment.   
Sam quickly recovers himself and clears his throat.   
"It can kill anything," He says simply.   
"Anythi-"  
"Anything," Dean says and raises his eyebrows knowingly.   
"Okay well, that's all cool, but I think I'll stick to my stakes and holy water," I say and climb in behind the wheel.   
Sam and Dean climb into Baby and our engines turn over at the same time. Uncle Bobby climbs into the passenger seat of CeeCee and fastens his seat belt.   
"Uh... Uncle Bobby? Whatcha doin'?"   
"What does it look like? I'm comin' with ya," He says and opens his beer.   
"Why aren't you taking your truck?" I ask, confused.   
"Sometimes change is good," He says and takes a sip of his beer.   
Dean pulls out onto the road and we're on our way.   
"So, where are we going, exactly?" I ask about six hours later. I hadn't asked, just followed Dean.  
"Montana,"   
"And we didn't pack more food?!" I exclaim, nervous.   
"Relax, Annie. We're stopping at the next diner, then going to get a hotel," He says casually.   
"Okay but how is that gonna work? Dean in one bed, Sam in the other, and what about you and I? No offense Uncle Bobby, but I am NOT cuddling with you," I say which makes him laugh hysterically.   
"We'll get two rooms, silly. You'll be in one with one of us. Whomever is in the room with you will sleep on the other bed. The other two will obviously take the other room," He says as if it's simple addition.   
"Uncle Bobby... If you put me in a room with - "   
"With who, Annie?" He prods, obviously picking up on the hint that I don't want to be in a room alone with Sam.   
"With..."  
"Sam. I know, Annie." He says and chuckles.   
"What? I didn't say that! Uncle Bobby, you're assuming things," I say, but brush all my hair across my right shoulder to try to hide my red face from him.   
"I saw the way you looked at him, ya dingus" he says and smiles.   
Taken aback, I'm silent for a few seconds.   
"Okay yeah, he's cute, but - "  
"Yeah, 'cute" let's go with that," he says and chuckles again.   
Why did you even open your stupid mouth?!  
"Listen Annie, don't worry about it. Usually Dean is the one the gals are droolin' over, but maybe it's a nice thing for Sam," he ponders.   
"Uncle Bobby, I said he was cute, nothing more. Relax. I'm focusing on gankin' vamps, nothing more," I say.   
Before he can respond, Dean is turning left into the diner's parking area.   
Shit, we're here already. Please Uncle Bobby, for the love of everything creepy, DON'T OPEN YOUR MOUTH.  
"I hope they have pie," I hear Dean say as I unbuckle my seat belt.   
I parked to the right of Dean, so I can see Sam through our windows, which automatically makes me blush.   
DAMNIT!  
I take a deep breath and bite my lip. I'm acting stupid, it's juts Sam.   
"Oh, I'm sure they'll have pie," I say as I climb out of Babycakes, just as Sam is climbing out of Baby. I slam the door shut and quickly walk to the front of the car before we can make eye contact. I don't know why I'm so nervous all of the sudden...   
It's because damn Uncle Bobby had to open his big mouth!   
"If they don't, we'll just riot until someone bakes one, no worries," I say to Dean and wink before I turn and open the door.   
"Did I mention that I like her?" Dean says as Sam laughs.   
Almost immediately, we're greeted by a woman wearing too much makeup with frizzy hair that should be in a hairnet.   
I swear if I find a hair in my food...   
"How many?" She asks cheerfully.   
"Four, please," I say and smile.   
"Booth or table?" She asks.  
As Dean and I say "booth," Sam and Uncle Bobby say "table."  
The poor girl looks so utterly confused, but I smile and say, "Whatever is available, preferably in the sunlight."  
"Come on over!" She says with a smile.   
"Why in the sunlight?" Uncle Bobby mutters.   
"Because a little sunlight won't kill ya, Uncle Bobby," I say and smile at him.  
"Here ya are. Your waiter will be with ya soon," She says and giggles before hopping away.   
"Okay I don't know about you three, but I've gotta pee. So I'll be back," I say and point to the bathrooms.   
They all laugh as I walk away.   
"Keep laughin', I bet you guys will have to pee soon enough," I yell before I open the ladie's room.   
After I've finished, I aggressively grab at the paper towels that seem to be jammed in the paper towel holder, and once my hands are dry, I make my way back to our table.   
Sam and Uncle Bobby are on one side of the booth, and Dean is in the other. When he sees me, he smiles and pats the seat next to him.   
"I don't bite," he says.   
"But what if I want you to?" I whisper in his ear jokingly.   
He laughs nervously, but I just smile at Uncle Bobby; a "thank you" of sorts.   
"What can I get ya?" The waiter asks, un-enthusiastically.   
What a change from the other girl...    
"I'll have the pan-seared chicken with mixed vegetables and a side of apple bites, and a large soda," I say with a smile.   
"Pepsi okay?" He asks blandly.   
"Fine," I say and smile a little too cheerfully.   
After everyone else orders, I look to Uncle Bobby to start the conversation.   
"I noticed on the menu that they do in fact have pie," Dean says.   
"Good; we'll definitely be getting some of that before we head to the motel," I say and unwrap my silverware from the napkin.   
Our food quickly arrives, and we're all silent as we dig in.   
"Okay, so are we hunting the entire nest, or just certain vamps in particular?" Uncle Bobby asks.   
"We're hunting for three, actually. The first one is known as Jeff," Sam says.   
"Just Jeff?" I ask.   
"Yeah, just Jeff. The second one is named Darla, and the third one just goes as Blank." He says and looks at the three of us.   
"Blank?" Dean asks.   
"Blank."   
"Weird, but okay. Which one is the most dangerous?" I ask.   
"Blank, no doubt," Sam says and wipes his mouth.   
"Okay, then Sammy and I will take on Blank, Bobby can get Jeff, and Annie can go after fellow female, Darla," Dean says.   
"That probably isn't the best idea, Dean. Darla is Blank's lover, and if Annie does anything to her before Blank is ganked, Annie will be his target," He says.   
"I'll get him in time, no worries," He says confidently.   
"Anyone up for dessert?" The waiter asks.   
"Pie!" Dean and I exclaim at the same time. 

After graciously paying, Bobby heads over to the nearest motel about three blocks away to get our rooms.   
Meanwhile, Dean is in the bathroom, so it's just Sam and I outside. We're both leaning against Baby, as Dean wouldn't let Uncle Bobby take her; so he took CeeCee.    
"So I'm guessing we're going after these vamps later tonight?" I ask.   
"Yeah, that's probably the best bet," Sam says.   
There's a silence that's thick between us.   
Why do I feel so awkward around him?!  
"Annie, can I be honest?" Sam asks.   
At the question, my heart begins to pound.   
"Yeah, of course," I say, as nonchalantly as I can.   
"I don't think it's a good idea for you to go after Darla," at my silence, he continues.   
"She is Blank's lover. The strongest vamp we're hunting later. If he catches wind that you're after Darla, he'll target you for sure," He says.   
"Then I'll just stick with Uncle Bobby, and we'll go from there," I say.   
He looks doubtful, but I smile reassuringly. At least, I try to.   
"Uncle Bobby and I are a pretty good team otherwise, so I think we'll make great hunting partners. Don't worry Sam, everything will be okay. Let's just gank these vamps and get some rest," I say and smile again.   
"Right," he says and shifts position.   
"Is Bobby back yet?" Dean asks as he walks out of the diner.   
"No, but he should be back any minute," I say and check the watch on my left wrist.   
A few seconds later, I hear the purr of CeeCee's engine.   
"Ahhh, that's my babycakes," I say and smile with pride.   
The guys exchange a look, but I don't see much of it because I'm walking up to the parking area's entrance. Uncle Bobby hops out of the car and runs to the passenger side.   
"Good choice," I say as I climb behind the wheel.   
"Meet ya at the motel!" I shout to Sam and Dean before turning around and heading down the road.

 

I decide to leave all of my stuff in the car, since we'll be needing it later on anyway. I fall onto the nearest bed, and close my eyes.   
"You know, for a motel bed, this is actually pretty comfortable," I muse.   
"Is it now?" Dean says and plops down next to me.   
"Woah buster, check your privileges," I say jokingly and roll on my side so he has room. I'm nearly on the edge of the bed. Don't want to get too close for comfort.   
"Okay lazybutts, what's the plan?" Uncle Bobby asks.   
"Well, Annie and I figured that she could stick with you and go after Jeff, we'll go after Blank, then we'll tag-team Darla."   
"Simple enough," Dean says.   
"So when do we head out?" I ask, closing my eyes again.   
"In about... three hours," Sam says.   
"That means nap time!" I exclaim. I get off the bed and walk over to the couch.   
"What do ya think you're doing?" Uncle Bobby exclaims.   
"....taking a nap," I say and cuddle up on the couch.   
"No, get in bed," he demands.   
"Woah, papa Bobby on the loose!" Dean exclaims which makes Sam laugh.   
"No, it's Uncle Bobby, and I say that if you don't get your skinny ass over to that bed, I'm gonna steal the keys to CeeCee," He threatens.   
I smile, but stand up and get in his face.   
"You wouldn't," I jokingly fight back.   
"You wanna bet?" He asks.   
I try my hardest not to start laughing, but Uncle Bobby's stone face gets me and I giggle.  
"Bobby, one. Annie, zero," Dean says and laughs.   
Once I'm over to the other bed, I chuck a pillow right at Dean's face.   
"I'm gonna get some research done to see if these vamps are known by the police or anything," Sam says.   
"In the meantime, I will follow Annie's lead and nap," Dean says and climbs up to the pillows. I'm already cuddled in, when I hear Uncle Bobby shuffle over to the bed.   
"Hey kiddo, do ya think you'll want anything to eat when ya wake up?" Uncle Bobby whispers.   
"Pie and water will be good," I say and smile.   
He chuckles and walks away.   
After only a few moments, I drift off to a deep, dreamless sleep. 

When I wake up, I hear Sam and Uncle Bobby talking softly. I peek between my eyelids to see that Dean is still asleep. Sam and Uncle Bobby are sitting at the table. Uncle Bobby is pouring over his books, while Sam is on his laptop. Pretending to be asleep, I glance from one to the other. When Uncle Bobby speaks, it definitely catches me off guard.  
“Do you think it's a good idea that Annie is comin' with us?” He asks softly.  
Sam looks up from his laptop screen and I can practically see the gears turning in his mind before he answers.  
“Honestly Bobby, I'm not sure. I don't know how skilled of a hunter she is, or of her previous experiences. We'll just have to keep a close eye on her, and work as a team,” Sam says with a slight smile.  
With a sigh, Uncle Bobby just looks back down at his books and says, “Yeah, I guess. I just worry about her is all. Aside from you boys, she's all I've got,” he says quietly. 

 

The drive to their so-called “nest” didn't take long, if you can even call it a nest. We pulled into a gravel parking area, and as we walked farther into the darkness, I felt the nerves that were building the entire ride slowly start to seep through my skin and soak my clothes in a sweat.  
“So uhm – who exactly are we looking for?” I whisper to Uncle Bobby on my right.  
“I heard Blank is bald,” Dean whispers from my left.  
“You heard right, hunter,” we hear from in front of us.  
We all look in the same direction to come face to face with two male vampires. Without saying anything, the average-sized man starts to walk in our direction. Disgusted with just their presence, I pull a wooden stake from my boot, run towards the vampire I'm assuming to be Just Jeff. I dodge his fist almost automatically, turn back around to face him, and sink it deep into his chest before he has the chance to lay a finger on me.  
“So sorry,” I whisper in his ear and sink the stake deeper into his chest.  
“I am too, sweetheart,” he gurgles at me before he sinks to the ground. I hear slow clapping, and when I look up, I see Blank grinning at me. "You're going to need more than just fancy moves to defeat us, darlin'," Blank says and winks right in my direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I hope you guys enjoyed chapter 3! Sorry it took so long to update, I lost part of this chapters so I had to re-write it, and then I just got super busy with work and other things. Chapter 4 will be posted shortly! (:
> 
> xo, Maye.


	4. Four.

"So is your name 'Blank' because of your bald head, or is it because there's a blank space where your heart should be?" I ask sarcastically, my fists clenched around the pistol.   
"Ooh, she's feisty, I like feisty," Blank says and stomps out his cigarette on the ground; I hadn't even noticed he was smoking a cigarette in the first place.   
"He sure does," I hear from the alleyway behind Blank. A female's voice, echoing loudly off of the walls.   
Darla.  
Dean comes up to stand beside me, gripping my wrist that holds the pistol.   
"You know, it's unfortunate there's only one of you, Annie; girls, I mean. Darla here has a particular taste for women," he says and purrs toward her.   
"Sorry sweetie, I don't kiss girls," I say.   
"Awh, that's too bad. You're just my type; on the shorter side, edgy, not afraid to get dirty," Darla says.   
I scoff, not believing a word she is saying.   
"If you're gonna try to seduce me, you're not gonna be successful," I say.   
"Oh no, I wasn't going to seduce you. I'll just make the first move, is all," she says, then lunges toward me.   
She crashes into me, both of us collapsing on the ground. She's on top of me, pinning me down.   
"Annie!" Dean, Sam, and Uncle Bobby all shout at the same time.   
"Don't worry about me! Just get Blank!" I yell then try to push her off of me.   
"Honey, you're fighting a vampire, I'm much stronger than you." Darla says with a smile.   
With my arms pinned down, and my stake in my boot, I have no way of getting the better of her.   
She kisses girls... And I'm just her type.   
Before I can mentally talk myself out of it, I lean toward her, and crash my lips against hers. She's taken off guard, which gives me the advantage and I kick her off of me, sending her crashing to the ground to my right.   
I jump on top of her, and with her hands under my knees, stake in my right hand, and my left hand pressing down on her throat.   
"I thought you didn't kiss girls?" She asks exasperated.   
"Sometimes, I make an exception." I say then lean down closer to her.   
"After all, I'm just your type, right?" I whisper in her ear.   
Before she can respond to me, I slam the stake down into her heart, push myself up onto my knees, and pull the stake out. Though she's not dead, I rush toward Uncle Bobby.  
"BUTCHER KNIFE!" I shout then take it from his hand. I slide over to Darla, lying lifeless on the gravel.   
"So sorry sweetie, but I don't kiss girls," I say then slam the butcher knife down right through her neck.   
"DAAARRRLLLAAAA!!!!!!!" Blank shouts, which sends his gruff voice echoing off of every surface around us.   
I stand back up, Darla's head in my right hand, dangling by her hair.   
"Wanna tell me again how I'm gonna need more than some fancy moves?" I say, then throw Darla's head at Blank, which lands right at his feet.   
It's as if time stopped, and everyone is staring at Blank and I. Not sure what his next move will be, Sam and Dean grab him and pull his arms behind his back.   
In one swift move, Blank shoves the guys off of him, and lunges toward me.   
I don't have time to arm myself, I don't have time to guess what his next move will be. He snatches me up in his arms violently, and soon enough, we're out of sight. Everything is moving so fast, it's all a blur. I couldn't see Uncle Bobby, Sam, or Dean anymore even if I wanted to. We're too far away from them.   
"Where are y-" before I can even finish the question, Blank takes a free hand and slams it down on my throat, choking me, cutting off my air supply.   
"Sorry darling, but you'll have to be quiet for a little while," he says, right before I lose consciousness.   
The sound of a fire crackling is the first thing I hear. I keep my eyes shut, trying to mentally assess my surroundings. My arms are tied above me, but there is ground beneath me. There's something attached to my left arm, which throbs with my heartbeat. Afraid to open my eyes too quickly, I peek between my eyelids. It's barely lit in here, all I can make out are dark walls, old dusty furniture around me, the dust caking in the back of my throat.   
Taking a leap of faith, I open my eyes all the way. There's a fire in the fireplace in the wall to my left, furniture set up as if this place hasn't been used in decades. I'm the only one in this room, but there are corpses lying in the far corner, about three of them piled one on top of the other.   
What the heck am I supposed to do now?!  
I try to look up to my bound hands, but it's just too dim to see what they're tied with. At this angle, I can't even feel the bindings with my fingertips, either. My hands fall limp, and I sigh with frustration.   
There's an IV in my arm, slowly draining blood from my veins. The bag isn't even an inch full, so he hasn't been draining me for very long.   
Instead of being like all of the stupid people in horror movies, I decide against the "Hello?! Is anyone there?!" route. I pull my knees up to my chest, which causes my whole body to slide up a little.   
With all my strength, I attempt to get into a squatting position. Afraid that my shoulders might pop out of place, I slow down.   
"Okay, here we go.." I whisper to myself.   
Slowly, I try to climb out of my squatting position, and slide my back up the wall or whatever it is I'm tied to.   
No luck, as I'm tied to something hanging from the wall itself.  
"UGH!" I scream, then immediately regret it.   
If someone heard that, I'm screwed. I can't defend myself, and I'm losing energy. I was already low after Darla tackled me earlier.   
I wonder what time it is...  
Before I can attempt to even calculate what time it is, I hear footsteps.   
I stretch my legs out in front of me, let my head fall to the side, and close my eyes.   
"Honestly, I don't understand your point here, Blank," I hear in a manly, but soft and calm voice.   
"The Winchester boys need to come to me. Besides, she killed Darla, Crowley. I can't let that go unpunished." Blank says, frustrated.   
Crowley?!  
"So you're just going to leave her tied up in that room, and do what? Wait for the Winchester's to magically know where she is, then come to her rescue?" Crowley says, annoyance in his voice.   
Then the door opens, and the footsteps sound even closer; they're in the room now.   
"No, I left a hint burning into the gravel where Darla died. They should be here shortly," Blank says.   
"Shortly, huh? You underestimated us, Blank," I hear Dean's voice, and oh jeez, is he pissed off.   
"Well hello boys," Crowley says.   
"Crowley," Sam says.   
"Have you come to negotiate?" Blank asks slowly.   
"I came to gank your bald ass," Dean says.   
"Well, it looks as if it's my time to depart. See you later, Annie darling," Crowley says. I don't know if he disappeared or not, but from the way everyone's footsteps are shuffling, I know he isn't in the room anymore.   
"So, what brings you boys here?" Blank asks.   
"You know why we're here," Sam says in a rough voice.   
"Oh, the girl? Too bad, she's mine," Blank says and chuckles.   
"Oh, not for long," Dean says. I hear a crash, signaling that Dean must have jumped at Blank. The furniture is being shoved, I hear grunting and grumbling, and I can't help at all. I'm trapped to this wall, with this IV slowly draining my energy from me.   
"Finally! I get to gank your bald ass!" I hear Dean yell, then a thud just after Blank yells as the stake is lodged into his chest. My vision is getting blurry, but I can still make out who is who. Sam is leaning against the wall where the fireplace is, Dean is climbing off of Blank's lifeless body, and right after he decapitates him, he kicks his head into the fireplace.   
"Annie..." Sam groans, then I think points to me.   
At this point, I'm guessing he's drained at least a pint of my blood. Enough so I can't die, but just enough to weaken me slightly.   
Within seconds, Dean is over to me, working on untying my hands.   
"Annie, Annie are you okay?" He asks quickly.   
"I'm fine.. just... hungry," I say with a smile.   
"Thatta girl," he says and chuckles.   
Once my hands are free, Dean slowly brings down my arms and lays them in my lap.   
"Aahh," I say as my muscles protest.   
"I know, but it'll feel better by tomorrow," he says. By this time, Sam is over here, his hand resting on my shoulder.   
"Annie?" He asks softly. Even with blood loss, I feel myself blush. Good thing it's dark in here and I have dirt smeared across my face.   
"Hey, Sam," I say.  
"He was draining her, that sonofabitch," Dean says then stands up and paces the room.   
Sam scoots in front of me, and gently grabs my arm.   
"I'm going to pull this out slowly but quickly, okay?" He says.   
I nod, and slowly, Sam pulls the IV from my arm. I flinch and grunt, but I'm okay. Sam rips a piece of his sleeve off and wraps it around my arm where the IV was.   
"Keep pressure on that, okay?" He says and smiles at me.   
"Thanks Sam," I say weakly.  
"Why the HELL was he draining her?!" Dean asks angrily.   
"Hey guys, I think I know why he wanted Annie so badly," Uncle Bobby says as he walks into the room.   
"Uncle Bobby!" I exclaim, relieved to see him.   
"Hey sweetie," he says and sits down next to me.  
"And why is that?" Sam asks.   
"Not only did Annie kill his lover, she also took his food source. I checked out Darla, and she had bite marks all over her. She was just turned, but he also used her to feed." He says and wraps his arm around my shoulders.   
"So, he wanted a food source. Instead of just feeding from donated blood like Benny did, he took her captive as revenge for killing Darla," Sam says.   
"Seems like it," Uncle Bobby says.   
"Guys, guys this doesn't matter right now." I say, exhausted.   
"Let's get her back to the motel. Bobby, are you gonna drive CeeCee?" Sam asks.   
"If it's okay with Annie - "  
"Can I drive her?" Dean asks, excited.   
"Sure, just be gentle," I say.   
"I'll treat her as if she's Baby. Sam, you can drive Baby, just BE CAREFUL." He says and points at his brother.   
"You forget who drove her while you were in hell," Sam reminds him.  
Dean just stares at Sam, which makes me laugh.   
"Can we please go now? I'm hungry, dirty, and exhausted." I say.   
"You're dirty, that's for sure. Did you see her lip lockin' with that vamp chick?!" Dean exclaims.  
I roll my eyes, and gesture for Uncle Bobby to help me up. Instead of him helping me walk, he picks me up and carries me in his arms bridal style.   
"U-Uhm, Uncle Bobby, but I don't remember you proposing to me. Isn't this moving a little fast?" I joke weakly.   
"Oh shut up, ya idgit." Uncle Bobby says with a smile. 

Staring at myself in the mirror, I look like the same Annie I've always known myself to be. Pale, short, a few scars, except for the one Blank left for me. Thankfully he didn't bite long enough to actually turn me; just gonna be a gnarly scar. I check out the bite mark on the outside of my right thigh, before wrapping a towel around myself.   
"Annie, why do you always get yourself into these kinds of things?" I say to my reflection.   
At the knock on the door, I jump and wrap the towel tighter around me.   
"Yeah?" I shout.   
"Annie, uh - Bobby and I are gonna go out to grab some grub and bring it back. Sam is gonna stay here while we're gone to do some research and make sure you're okay. Want anything specific?" Dean asks me through the door.   
DAMNIT Uncle Bobby! I didn't want to be left alone with Sam. Ugh always gets his way.   
"Pie?" I say.   
I can practically hear Dean's smile through the door when he says, "apple, cherry, raspberry, or chocolate mousse?"   
"All the above, and maybe some chicken tenders with fries?" I say and giggle.   
"My kinda girl. Alright, we'll be back in a bit," Dean says.   
I hear his footsteps retreating, then sigh in frustration.   
"I forgot clothes." I say to myself.   
Feeling helpless, I debate whether to go out into the room in my towel and ask Sam for something to put on - NO WAY - instead, I settle for the less embarrassing way.   
"Uh... Sam?" I shout through the door.   
"Yeah?" I hear him shout back, followed by his footsteps.   
"I uh - I forgot clothes, remember?" I say, feeling like an idiot.   
"Oh, right. I'll grab you a shirt, hang on," Sam says.   
Moments later, there's a soft knock on the bathroom door.   
"Okay, I'm covering my eyes with one hand and handing you the shirt with the other. You're gonna have to just take the shirt from me," I hear him say.   
I slowly crack open the door to see Sam actually covering his eyes with one hand, holding a dark gray button up shirt in the other.   
"Sam, thanks," I say and quickly grab the shirt and close the door.   
"Oh, uh... you're welcome," he says.   
After I throw on his shirt and pull on my underwear that I hand-washed and dried using the blow-dryer, I hang my towel over the shower curtain rod and walk out of the bathroom.   
"They're not back yet?" I ask when I see that only Sam is sitting at the table.   
"Yeah, no they're - " he looks up at me, and I feel myself blushing. He stares for a moment, then clears his throat.   
"No, they're still out. Why? Is everything okay?" He asks and attempts to concentrate on his computer screen.   
"Yeahno, I was just wondering," I say awkwardly.   
I walk over to the nearest bed and sit down with my legs underneath me. The shirt just barely covers Blank's bite, so I try to sit with it facing away from Sam, while actually looking comfortable.   
"So, where to next?" I ask, while trying to act nonchalant.   
"Uh, not sure yet. We're waiting to hear from Cas-" he looks up at me, and his eyes dart right to Blank's bite. "What is that?" He asks, concerned. All talk of Castiel is gone now.   
"Wh-what?" I ask, nervous under his gaze.   
"That," he says and points to the mark.   
Not knowing what to say, I sort of just sit there in the hopes that he'll just forget about it somehow and continue talking about Cas.   
"Annie," he insists.   
SHIT!   
"Okay, okay. Blank bit me before he decided to hook me up to the IV," I say as if it were no big deal.   
"What?! Annie! How come you didn't tell us?!" He's on his feet now, walking towards me.   
I scoot back farther onto the bed, to try to get away from him. Being close to him makes me anxious.   
"Because I knew you guys would make a big deal out of it," I surrender.   
"Because it is a big deal! Annie, he might have turn-"  
"Might have, but he didn't. I'm fine Sam, really. I've been bitten before," I say.   
"You have?!" Now he's more than just concerned, he's angry.   
"Yes, I have," I say, defensively.   
"And it didn't occur to you to tell us?" He asks, accusingly.   
"Last time I checked, I just met you and Dean. I just reunited with my uncle, and for the most part, I barely know you guys!" I'm on my hands and knees now, in a defensive stance, I guess.   
"You barely know us, yet you trust to stay with us in a grungy motel?!" Sam shouts back. He's at the edge of the bed, looming over it as if he's about to climb onto it.   
"Yes! Because I - "   
"Because you what, Annie?!" he asks, angry.   
"Because I don't know who else to trust! Alright?!" I shout, only about an inch from his face.   
He's staring into my eyes now, and I have no idea what to say. Those beautiful eyes.   
"You - " Before I could say anything else, Sam grabs my face between his hands and presses his lips against mine.   
Shocked, I sort of stay still for a few seconds, until I instinctively press my hands on his chest and gently push him away. God knows I didn't want to.   
He looks at me, kind of hurt. I look away before it tears me apart.   
"It's not that I don't want to kiss you, Sam. Because I do - really, really badly, actually. But we don't know when Uncle Bobby and Dean will be back, and - " At their names, we hear the lock turning.   
Sam and I both bolt away from each other, I farther back onto the bed with the Bible between my hands, and Sam back to the laptop.   
"Okay, so I got practically every kind of pie they had, except for the boysenberry, because that just sounds unappetizing." Dean says with a smile.   
When he looks at  the two of us, he's confused.   
"What's goin' on?" He asks.   
"What?" I ask, and smile.   
".....Nevermind. Anyway - "   
I look away from Dean as he's rambling and look directly at Uncle Bobby. He has a smug look on his face.   
The look of an Uncle Bobby victory.  


	5. Five.

Walking back from the vending machine with 3 Cokes and a water bottle in my arms, I catch myself singing "Monster" by Paramore under my breath.   
"What's that about a monster?" Dean asks as he opens one of the rooms' doors. He has a smirk plastered on his face, always the charmer.   
"It's just a song, don't worry," I say and walk through the doorway. Inside, Sam and Uncle Bobby are sitting at the table; Uncle Bobby pouring over lore books, and Sam on his laptop, just as usual.   
"How ya feelin'?" Uncle Bobby asks as I set the drinks on the table.   
"Just as I did about 6 minutes ago, Uncle Bobby. Don't worry, I'm fine," I say with a smile.   
In all honesty, I'm not as fine as I'm trying to convince my uncle I am. I'm tired, that bite mark is burning like a cigarette burn, I feel cooped up in this hotel room, and I just want to stuff my face with ice cream.   
"I'm just checkin'," he said with a roll of his eyes.   
"Okay, so while you guys do that, I'm going to lounge on my bed and check stock." I say and make my way to the bed.   
"Stock?" Sam asks.   
"Yeah," I say and slide my mini weapons trunk out from under my bed. Inside I have three stakes, two pistols, and a shotgun.   
"The stakes need sharpened, and who knows how long it's been since I've fired my pistols," I say and sit down next to the trunk.   
"Why do you need two pistols?" Uncle Bobby asks.   
"Two words, Uncle Bobby: 'dual wielding.'" I smirk, but he just rolls his eyes again.   
"You know, technically that was SIX words," Dean prods.   
I simply throw a pillow at him.   
"Uncle Bobby knows what I meant," I say and turn back to my trunk.   
"Why are everything bagels called 'everything,' if there isn't everything on them?"   
We all turn to see Cas standing there, all serene and whatnot.   
"Cas!" I exclaim with a smile.   
"Hello Annie," he says with an adorable smile.   
"What's up, Cas?" Dean says.   
"The angels are talking again, and this time, it's about Annie." He says and looks in my direction.   
"What about her?" Sam asks, rising from the table.   
"She's been bitten, hasn't she?" He asks, then walks up to me.   
I look at him, trying not to give anything away. Yes, I've been bitten, and holy shit it burns.   
 _Cas, stop it from burning?!_  
Before I respond, I catch Sam looking at me, and when we make eye contact, he looks sympathetic.   
 _Sympathetic ends in pathetic. Don't start feeling sorry for yourself, Annie._  
I quickly mentally shake my thoughts away, and look directly at Cas.   
"Annie, I can heal you, if you want me to," Cas offers.   
Not knowing what to say, I just stare at him.   
"S-sure," I say.   
Cas gestures for me to sit down, and once I do, his fingertip touches my forehead, and instantly my bite mark is burning even more.   
"Ah!" I exclaim, thinking it'll end. But it doesn't.   
"Cas... it BURNS!" I shout.   
"It will hurt more before it's fully healed," he says softly.   
"CAS STOP! IT BURNS! STOP!" I scream, and shove him away from me.   
Everyone is shocked, including myself.   
"I-I'm.. I'm sorry Cas, but.. that was horrible," I say and reach down to my thigh.   
"Uh - Cas, I don't think it's healed," Sam says.   
We all look down to see a bloody spot in my jeans where the bite is.   
"I'm... I'm gonna go to the bathroom," I say and run into the bathroom and slam the door.   
Quickly, I pull my pants down to the bite mark, then slowly pull it off the burn, afraid the pants will be sticking to me. I was right, and slowly, agonizingly, I peel the jeans from the mark.   
"AH!" I shout, then quickly bite my lip. I don't want them knowing I'm in anymore pain than I already am.   
"Annie?" I hear Sam on the other side of the door.   
"I'm fine, Sam," I say quickly.   
I hear him sigh, but he walks away.   
There's a knock on the door.   
"Yeah?"   
"Annie, it's Cas. I need to see your wound," he says seriously.   
"Uhm, Cas, I don't - "   
"I have some shorts for you, change into them then I will come in," he says. I crack the door open and take the shorts. They aren't "shorts," exactly, they're cutoff jeans. MEN'S cutoff jeans. I pull them up and tie my belt around them to keep them up.   
"Okay Cas," I say.   
I expect him to just appear in the bathroom, but he's actually using the door. I quickly jump onto the counter and as he closes the door, I kick my jeans to the side.   
"Cas, I'm a tiny girl, not a grown man. These don't really fit," I say as he approaches me.   
"I'm sorry, but those are the only pants I could find on such short notice." He says then starts looking at my bite.   
"These are Dean's pants, aren't they?" I ask, trying not to laugh.   
"Yes," Cas says simply. I try not to laugh, but fail miserably.   
"It's not funny!" I hear Dean shout through the door.   
"Screw this, I'm goin' in," I hear Uncle Bobby say right before the bathroom door opens. Before I know it, all three guys are crowded into this small bathroom.   
"I don't understand why it didn't heal," Sam observes.   
"It's kind of crowded in here guys, do you mind?" I say, but go unnoticed.   
“It is peculiar,” Cas observes.   
“I'll check the books,” Uncle Bobby says.  
He turns and squeezes between the boys and leaves the bathroom.   
“Have you put anything on it?” Cas asks.   
“You mean... like Neosporin or anti-botic cream? No,” I say with a shake of my head.   
“I meant more along the lines of something weird, like sage or lamb's blood,” Cas says casually.   
“What does sage or lamb's blood have in common, there Cas?” Dean asks with a chuckle.   
“Annie, you know what he means,” Sam says.   
“No, I didn't put anything weird on it, Cas. Honestly, it burned before, but it just got worse after you tried to heal it,” I say.   
“We should dress it, then we'll just go from there.” Sam says.   
“It's not healthy to leave an open wound out in the open like that,” Dean says at my evil glare.   
“It's not - “ I say then look down at my thigh.   
It's not really bleeding, blood just rose to the surface of my skin, the tiny little scabby scabs that were trying to form around the edges were peeled off.   
“I'll go pick up some gauze,” Dean says.   
“Dean? While you're out, can you pick up some pie?” I ask with a doogy pout.   
“Of course,” he says with a grin.   
After Cas helps me down from the counter, I slowly make my way to my bed.   
“Sam?” I ask after a few moments of awkward silence.   
“Hmm?” He replies, and glances at me.   
“I'm... I'm sorry for not telling you guys about the bite,” I say and look away from him.   
“Annie,” he says and starts walking over to the bed.   
“I mean it; I should have told you guys, and I didn't. And for that, I'm sorry,” I say, feeling tears behind my eyes.   
_Someone actually cares about me, now. I can't just let that go out the window._  
Sam slowly sits at the end of my bed, and I glance at the bathroom door quickly.   
“Bobby just got in the shower, so we can talk without you having to worry about upsetting him,” Sam says with a knowing yet soft smile.   
I nod my thanks, not able to form the words.  
He sighs, probably trying to find the right words.   
“The important thing is that you're okay,” he says.   
He runs his hand through his hair, for the third time in ten minutes.   
“Sam, have you gotten any sleep?” I ask softly.  
At my question, he doesn't make eye contact with me.   
When he doesn't sleep well, he runs his hands through his hair more often, probably from stress and nerves. That, and he has dark half-moons underneath his eyes.   
“Listen, Sam, you need rest just as much as I do,” I begin, and crawl towards the end of the bed.   
“I know, it's just that – Bobby asked me to protect you and make sure you're alright, and - “  
“What makes you think I'm not alright, Sam?” I ask. “Is it this nasty bite mark that dickwad left me with? Is it the fact that I'm tiny, and that you guys think I'm a new hunter?” I rest my hand on his shoulder, trying to tell him that I'm not mad or upset or anything of the like.   
“Because you said you can't trust anyone else, Annie. That means that if I blow it, you won't be able to trust me, and that means you'll feel alone again, and I don't want that to happen,” he says with a sigh.   
Speechless, I bite my lip and try to think of something to say.   
“Sam, you don't have to worry about me so much. You're not the only one with me, you're not carrying all of the burden alone. There's Dean and Uncle Bobby, and hell, even Cas. Besides, it's not 'we must protect Annie!' it's 'we must protect each other and look out for each other' and that means I protect YOU, and vice versa. And even though you're a six foot tall moose and I'm a tiny little prairie dog, I'll try my damn hardest to keep you safe,” I say and smile at him.   
He looks up at me and smiles slightly.   
“You're not a prairie dog, Annie. You're a panther with that dark hair of yours flying everywhere,” he says and smirks.   
“The moose and the panther are unlikely and unexpected friends, just like 'The Fox and The Hound,'” I say with a giggle.   
He chuckles and smiles at me.   
Oh, that perfect smile; it's killing me.  
“Listen, let's make a deal. If I get hurt in any way, even if I don't want to say something to Bobby or my over-protective big brother, I'll still tell you. But you have to tell me if you get injured in any way, but we won't say anything to Bobby or Dean unless it's necessary. Deal?” he asks and holds out his hand for me to shake.   
I grab it and practically cry when his hand envelopes mine.   
“Deal,” I say and look away to hide my blushing cheeks. 

A few minutes later, Uncle Bobby emerges from the steamy bathroom, hat back on his head.   
“You know, you're gonna get hat hair,” I say and smile up at him.   
“Shut it,” he says and walks over to the table.   
“Did ya find anything?” He asks Sam.   
“Not much, just the usual stuff that isn't even relevant,” he says in frustration.   
Dean comes barreling through the door with pie in one hand and two grocery bags in the other.   
“Whatcha got there?” I ask, curious. Of course, I was talking about the pie.   
“Pumpkin,” he says and wiggles his eyebrows.   
“In the bags, idgit,” Uncle Bobby clarifies.   
“Right – well, I got the gauze, as well as medical tape and some other precautionary stuff,” he says and sets the bags on the couch.   
“Because pie is precautionary?” Sam asks.   
By this time, I'm over to the couch ruffling through the bags.   
“It's not even precautionary, it's necessary for Annie's healing, right Annie?” Dean says and hands me a plastic fork.  
“Right!” I say and stab the pie, stuffing the huge bite into my mouth.   
“Ohmmagawww,” I say around the food.   
“Right?!” Dean exclaims around his own large bite.   
“You guys are seriously just eating the pie out of the container?” Sam asks, and glances at the pie. We both started on opposite sides of the pie and are making our way to the middle.   
I simply nod, and reach for a water bottle.   
“Ah – no water for you since you took such a big bite!” Uncle Bobby proclaims.   
I stare at him in disbelief and betrayal; it's like taking a big bite of a peanut butter sandwich and him denying me some milk.   
“Don't worry, you can have some of mine,” Dean offers graciously.   
I smile at him and take a gulp of water.   
“Thank you,” I say and glare daggers at Uncle Bobby. 

Later on, Uncle Bobby is passed out on the couch, Dean is passed out on the other bed, and Sam is in the shower; which means I have time to myself to think, and that's not necessarily a good thing.   
_Why the hell didn't this bite heal when Cas touched my forehead?!_  
I sigh and doodle on the little notepad that the motel provided. Of course, it's the same thing I always wind up drawing; Jeff. He is one of the vamps that trapped me that night on my way home from work. His friend... I can't remember the name, is the one who bit me and completely changed my life. If a random hunter hadn't found me in time, Rufus, then I would have died. And for that, I will forever be in his debt.   
At the sound of Sam opening the shower curtain in the bathroom, I quickly curl up and act as if I'm asleep. I'm in no mood to look at him and feel my heart race in my chest.   
A few moments pass before he walks out, and I can feel the warmth from the bathroom. Once he's walked passed me, I sneak a peak to see he has a t-shirt on and a pair of sweats, his hair dripping all over his shoulders. I fight the urge to sigh a girly sigh, and close my eyes.   
“Everyone just passed out?” Sam says to himself.   
“I don't even know where the other room key is,” he says then from the sound of it, sits down at the table and starts typing around on his computer.   
_I DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE TO PRETEND TO BE ASLEEP FOR SO LONG._  
I rustle around, trying to make it look like I'm just waking up, and walk over to the table.   
“Hey, how you feeling?” He asks softly.  
“Mmmmsleepy,” I say and rub my left eye.   
“It's only 2am, you should go back to sleep,” he says.   
“Ehh, I got thirsty,” I say with a shrug and sit down at the table.  
Sam just looks back to his computer with a grin across his face.   
Uncle Bobby starts to talk in his sleep, which amuses the both of us.   
I look over to Sam, who looks at me and as soon as our eyes connect, I glance away.   
“Sam can I ask you something?”   
“Yeah,” he says.   
“Why did you kiss me the other night?” I ask shyly.   
He doesn't answer right away, as if he's thinking of something to say.   
I just watch the emotions play across his face, worried, then bashful, then regretful that I even asked.   
“You know what, nevermi - “  
“I kissed you because... because I wanted you to know that you can trust me, I don't know. I-I don't know,” he says and laughs nervously.   
I try my hardest to not blush, but it doesn't work.   
“I was just wondering,” I say and start to get up from the table, water bottle in hand.   
“I'm sorry if it upset you,” he says and then adds, “I won't do it again,”   
I freeze where I'm standing, astounded that he said that to me. Can he not see what he does to me?   
“You don't have to apologize,” is all I say. I couldn't think of anything else.   
_Damn IT! I probably just ruined EVERY CHANCE I HAD._


	6. Six.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it took so long to update! I'm sorry guys. I've been having a really hard time lately. I've also had major writer's block. But anyway, here is chapter 6! Enjoy! 
> 
> xo, Maye

A few days later, the burn has started to scab over. Uncle Bobby and the boys have wanted me to “take it easy” for a week or so, but I'm just so bored in this hotel room.   
Uncle Bobby and Sam went out to get some food to keep here for me, while Dean keeps me company; yet, he has fallen asleep in the other bed.   
_So much for company..._   
Bored out of my skull, I get up and creep over to Sam's computer on the small circular table. Praying there isn't a security password, I open the laptop. Thankfully it opened to the desktop automatically. There are tons of folders on his desktop, labeled with abstract things like “Wendigo... Thing?” and “Lore That Needs Picked Apart.” Honestly, it seems more like Sam is a disorganized kid who wants to learn so much in such a short period of time. None of the folders are categorized, and some of them don't even have titles at all. Instead, I just open the internet to try to entertain myself while Dean snoozes away.   
After I click on the icon, a webpage pops up about a fellow hunter.   
“Sam must be looking for a fellow hunter but doesn't want to tell Uncle Bobby...” I wonder aloud to myself.   
“Is it Rufus?” I hear from the bed. I jump so high in my chair that my knees bang against the underside of the table.   
“Shit Dean, you scared me,” I say and rub my sore knees.   
“Sorry,” he says half-heartedly. He gets up from the bed, straightens his shirt, and walks over to me to look at the computer screen. “Yeah, that's Rufus. Bobby and Rufus have known each other for years,” he adds on.   
Staring at the picture, I feel almost as if I've known him for years too. Instead, I've met him once, on the night that he saved my life. I continue staring at the picture on the computer screen, until the door swings open and Uncle Bobby comes parading in with grocery bags hung all over his arms. I quickly shut the laptop, hoping Sam wouldn't be upset that I used it without asking, or even about me snooping, whether it was intentional snooping or not.   
“You know, next time you guys want to go out, can you maybe make sure Deano here won't fall asleep on me?” I say as I rise from the chair.   
“He what?” Uncle Bobby asks as he sets the groceries down.   
“He fell asleep about ten minutes after you guys left. I got out of the shower and he was passed out – some company you are,” I add and glance in Dean's direction.   
“Anyway – what'd you guys bring back? Burgers, I hope.” Dean says and starts snooping through the bags.   
“We did stop at a fast food joint, so help yourself,” Sam says and hands Dean the takeout bag.   
Munching on a burger, he sits back down on the bed.   
“Annie, I got ya some more gauze while we were out, and some antibiotic ointment,” Uncle Bobby says and smiles at me.   
The word _ointment_ is just awkward for me.   
“Thanks, Uncle Bobby,” I say instead and attempt a smile.  
“Well, I'm going to grab a burger before Dean eats 'em all. Want one, Annie?” Uncle Bobby asks as he fishes through the takeout bag. I nod, lost in space.   
He throws the burger at me, and thankfully it bops me in the forehead and lands in my lap.   
“Annie, you okay?” Dean asks. He has crumpled up his burger wrapper and made it the size of his palm.   
“Hmm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine,” I say and start to unwrap my burger.   
“Well that was convincing,” Sam says and sits down on the chair on the opposite side of the table.   
“I'm just a little distracted, is all. Really guys, I'm fine,” I say and smile. The three of them exchange a look, but don't say anything.   
“Uh huh... Well, I'm gonna get in the shower, so if anyone needs me...” Dean trails off.   
“I needed you to keep me company while they were out, ya know,” I joke. He throws his burger wrapper at me, but I duck and dodge it. I stick my tongue out at him and continue eating my burger.   
“I'll be back in a few,” Uncle Bobby says as he walks towards the door.   
“Where are you going?” I ask, suddenly nervous.   
“We're out of water, which no one told me,” he glances at the bathroom door, then looks back at me. “and I'm gonna head to the gun shop down the road, see if there's anything worth lookin' at,” he says. He straightens his ball cap and smiles before closing the door behind him.   
Now I'm alone with Sam, again.   
At the awkward silence, I stand up from the table and rummage through the remaining grocery bags.   
Sam clears his throat and walks over to the computer. Hoping he doesn't notice the page about Rufus open, I try to distract myself by opening a candy bar.   
“Hey, I keep forgetting to ask, but do you know Rufus?” Sam asks. I practically choke on my candy bar before I can respond.   
“R-Rufus?” I ask. At the weird look Sam gives me, I try to finish chewing the candy bar before responding.   
“I'm not sure if you know him, but this is what he looks like,” he says and turns the laptop towards me.   
I feel the blood run out of my face, and it takes all of my strength not to burst into frustrated tears. Of course I know who he is?!  
“Annie, are you alright?” He asks, concern clearly scrawled across his face.   
I don't respond, just stare at the picture of Rufus. When I don't respond, Sam comes over to my side and kneels beside the chair.   
“Annie?” He says softly.   
I turn to look at him, not even fighting the tears that are building in my eyes.   
“What is it, Annie?” He asks, resting his hand on my shoulder.   
“Sam... I know Rufus. I've known him for quite a long time, actually,” I say, completely devoid of any emotion. He doesn't say anything, just waits for me to continue.   
“Rufus... he... saved my life.” I say simply. There was no other way I could think to put it.   
“W-what do you mean?” Sam asks, clearly confused.   
“He is the reason I became a hunter, Sam.” I quickly glanced at him, but then looked away when our eyes met.  
 _Should I tell him?_   
“You don't have to talk about it if it's too hard for you, Annie.” Sam says and kneels beside my chair.   
I take a deep breath and bite my lower lip.   
“I was walking home from work when it happened. I was a bartender at the bar down the road from my apartment. I had taken my usual route to get home, since it was only two blocks away from my house; driving would have been a waste of gas, and it would have been a bitch to try to find a parking space. When I turned down the ally that lead to my building, I was slammed against the brick wall of the building and two vampires were in front of me. One of them bit my neck, and before I could scream for help, Rufus was there...” I gave myself a moment to try and slow my heart rate, and took a deep breath. “He helped clean up, keep me hydrated, and he taught me how to take care of myself. He is also the one who told me that Uncle Bobby was a hunter, and that was why I hadn't seen him since I was a little girl,” I glance down to my lap to see my hands are shaking, so I ball my hands together. Sam is silent, but I can practically hear the gears in his mind turning.   
“Annie, I – you – I'm so sorry,” He says after a moment. He rests his hand on top of my balled up fists, and squeezes gently.   
“No one knows that story except Uncle Bobby, so please don't bring it up to Dean or Cas?” I ask and sniffle. I pry one of my hands out from under Sam's comforting palm to wipe my tears off my cheek.   
“I won't, I promise.” He says softly.   
I sit there frozen to my chair until I get the courage to speak again.   
“The vampire that bit me... I don't know who he was, Sam.” I say and finally look him in the eye.   
The concern is plain on his face, but he doesn't say anything.   
“I do know that Jeff was one of the guys that pinned me against the wall, and... and I remember how painful it was... the teeth sinking into my neck...” I trailed off, trying not to lose control of my emotions.   
Sam slowly rises from his crouch and leans over to wrap his arms around my shoulders.   
“I'm so sorry, Annie,” he whispers in my ear. It sends shivers down my spine unlike anything else.  
I just nod, not knowing what else to say in response. The fact that I told Sam the biggest secret I've been keeping has left me weak and disoriented.   
“I won't let anything hurt you, Annie. You understand? Neither will Dean, or Bobby, or Cas. We're here to you – we're here for each other. And that's a promise.” He says softly and kisses the top of my head.   
I sniffle and slowly rise from my chair to hug him around his chest. Because I'm so short, I'm at the perfect height to hear his heartbeat thumping in his chest.   
“Thank you,” I whisper into his shirt. He squeezes me tighter and sighs.   
“Don't ever thank me for something like that, Annie. It's just a given, and always will be.” He says. 

I called dibs on the bathroom once Dean was finished showering. Since he used all of the hot water, I just washed my face and settled on showering later on. I step out of the bathroom to find Dean lounging on his bed, Sam rummaging through the mini fridge, and Uncle Bobby still MIA.   
“Where's Uncle Bobby? I thought I heard him come back,” I ask as I plop down on my bed.   
“He forgot something apparently,” Dean says with a shrug.   
As if he was summoned, Uncle Bobby walks through the door moments later with two women tagging along behind him.   
Dean's face lit up, which was a little unusual.   
“Annie, this is Ellen and her daughter Jo. Ladies, this is my niece, Annie Singer.” He says and smiles. Ellen walks up to me and hugs me gently.   
“It's nice to finally meet ya sweetheart, I've heard a lot about you,” she says and smiles at me once she pulled away from the hug.   
Jo walked over and hugged me as well and giggled.   
“It's nice to finally have another woman who is a hunter, aside from my mom and I. Welcome aboard, I'm Jo.” She smiles.   
“It's nice to meet you both,” I say awkwardly.  
“Dean, run outside and grab the bag of clothes from the bed of my truck? Annie, you can start seeing what fits and what doesn't. That way you don't have to wear the same thing every day,” Uncle Bobby says and waves his hand in front of my face, acting as if I smell bad.   
“Sorry to break it to you Bobby, but you smell worse than Annie ever has,” Sam defends me with a chuckle.   
I feel myself blush, but quickly try to hide it. I'm pretty sure Jo saw, but that's okay. She winked at me and walked over to me.   
“It seems I'm taller than you, so the jeans might be a little long. But otherwise, we're the same size. I have loads more if you need more clothes, okay? I also brought some soaps that don't smell like moth balls,” She says and smiles.   
That made me smile, and I realized that I have just made a new friend.   
“Thanks, Jo. I really appreciate it.” I say.   
A few minutes later Dean walks through the doorway with a garbage bag over his shoulder.   
“You look like Santa Clause if he were pissed off and underweight,” Uncle Bobby jokes.   
“Oh ha-ha, laugh it up.” He says and swings the bag onto my bed.   
As I start sifting through the clothes, the boys talk to Uncle Bobby about something and filling Ellen in on what's been going on.   
“I also threw some bras in there that don't fit me all that well anymore. I see you're smaller than me, so they should fit.” She says and sets a pink bra on the other side of the bag.   
“You know, this really means a lot, Jo. I feel so stupid about forgetting clothes. Seriously, I'm a woman, how can I forget something so important?” I say and shake my head.   
“If it makes you feel better, my mom and I went on a short trip and I grabbed bras but no panties and we were gone for a little over a week,” she said and crinkled her nose. “So I definitely understand how annoying hand-washing things in the bathroom sink can be. I grabbed a pack of unopened panties that I never used for you too,” she says and throws them aside.   
I smile my thanks and continue looking through the clothes. She even grabbed me some sweat pants, which made me so extremely happy.   
“It looks like it will all fit, and even if it's a little loose, that's alright. We can always try to shrink them, too,” Jo says after we organize the bag.   
“So, how'd it turn out?” Sam asks and walks up behind me. When he spots the bras lying on the bed, he quickly turned away and tried to change the subject.   
Feeling embarrassed, I hide them under a pile of shirts and turn to face Sam.  
“Most of it looks like it will fit, thankfully,” I say shyly.  
Sam simply smiles at me which makes my heart pound.   
“So what's this bite injury I keep hearing about?” Ellen says as she crosses the room to where we're standing.   
“Well, it really isn't..”  
“Not even Cas can heal it,” Sam butts in. I shuffle my feet and try not to concentrate on the feeling of Ellen's motherly glare.   
“How bad is it?” Jo asks.   
“It's --” But once again, I get cut off.   
“Bullshit it isn't bad! Annie go in the bathroom and show them what it looks like,” Uncle Bobby demands.   
With a look of defeat, I hang my head and walk into the bathroom, Ellen and Jo right behind me.   
Once the door is closed, they both face me. With a sigh, I slowly push away the makeshift shorts I was wearing from the other day to expose the bandaging.   
When I hesitated, Ellen crouched down in front of me.   
“Don't worry, we'll re-dress it.” She says with a smile.   
Sucking up any nerves I was currently feeling, I remove the dressing slowly and hold back a wince. It's scabbed over a little bit, but still an open wound. It's about the size of a tennis ball, and it is bruised and swollen around the edges.   
“Oh honey, I'm so sorry,” Ellen says and rests her hand on the top of my foot.   
“So why couldn't Cas heal it?” Jo asks as Ellen searches in the cabinet for the gauze and medical tape.   
“I don't know, and it just hurt even worse when he tried to heal it. Hopefully it didn't delay the healing time though,”   
Once Ellen is finished covering the wound, we walk back out into the room to find all three men standing only feet from the door.   
“Well, the first thing we need to do is figure out why Cas couldn't heal it,” Ellen says and walks past them to sit on my bed.   
“I know why,” we hear from the doorway.   
We all turn simultaneously to see Cas hovering by the table, fiddling with an empty soda can.   
“Cas!” I say excited.   
“It's because Raphael is known as the angel of healing,” he says simply.   
“But you've healed other wounds before, for both Sam and myself,” Dean says, confused.   
“Yes, but the angels also know about the two of you, but they don't know Annie,” Cas says and looks at me.   
“So just because they don't know her, you can't heal her?” Jo asks.   
“It's more of an issue with my grace. Sometimes it still has it's... faults.”   
We all stand there in confused astonishment until the sound of Dean sitting on his bed breaks the silence.   
“Okay, well I'm beat. So I'm going to go next door and get some shut-eye. Tomorrow we can start movin' again. Ellen, Jo, you are both welcome to stay in this room with Annie,” Uncle Bobby says.   
“I can sleep on the couch,” Dean said just as Sam said “I'll take the couch,”   
You could practically feel the awkward radiating throughout the room.  
“Jo and I can share one bed, Ellen can take the other. Uncle Bobby, you and one of the boys take the other room, and whomever doesn't sleep in the other room can take the couch in here,” I offer.   
“Why can't they all just sleep in the other room? We're big girls, we can take care of ourselves,” Ellen says.   
“The other room doesn't have a couch,” Uncle Bobby says, annoyed.   
“It's fine, I can take the couch,” Sam insists.   
Another awkward silence permeates through the room, and I just glance at Uncle Bobby.   
_So help me, Uncle Bobby, I will punch you if it's necessary..._   
“C 'mon, Dean. Sam volunteered. There's no use arguing about it anymore,” Uncle Bobby concluded while slapping a hand down on Dean's shoulder. 

Once everyone was all settled in their rooms, Jo and I finally organized the clothes that fit into a suitcase, while we threw the ones that didn't fit into a garbage bag.   
“So, what's going on with you and Sam?” Jo asked after a few moments of silence.   
Startled, I feel blood rush to my cheeks.   
I glance around to make sure he isn't within earshot.   
“What do you mean?” I ask, trying to keep my voice at a normal pitch.   
“You know exactly what I mean, Annie. I see the way you look at each other,” she says and smiles at me.   
“Well, I -” but before I could finish, Sam walks out of the bathroom, and of course, just as I glance up, he looks at me.   
“Annie, can I talk to you about something outside for a second?” He asks.   
“Oh, yeah, sure,” I say, suddenly anxious.  
We walk outside and hover by the vending machines. Since it's between spring and summer, it's not too hot outside.   
“Is everything okay?” I ask.   
“Yeah, everything is fine. I was just wondering about something...” he hesitates before continuing, “have you thought about getting into contact with Rufus at all?”   
Once the question leaves his lips, I freeze. Contact Rufus?  
“Uhm, no, not really. Why? What would I contact him about?” I had a feeling I knew, but that doesn't stop me from asking. Why all of the sudden would he want to bring this up? Does he know that I was snooping on his laptop after all?   
_Nice going, Annie._   
“I was just wondering, is all. Maybe it would be a good idea, Annie,” Sam said and sighed.  
I shuffle my feet, trying to think of something to say. Would it really hurt to talk to Rufus again? What could it hurt?   
“If you don't want to, then you don't have to – I just was throwing ideas around,” he says softly.  
I look up at him, finally getting the guts up to look him in the eyes.   
“I'm nervous, Sam,” I admit, looking away.   
“Why are you nervous?” He asks and steps closer to me.   
_Because you just moved closer to me._   
“I haven't talked to him in so long, Sam. Uncle Bobby may have, but they are also friends. It brings up... a lot of... past memories that I don't want to revisit. I've finally come to terms with what happened to me, finally taught myself how to just shrug it off my shoulders instead of breaking down every single time the thought popped up in my mind, and... I feel like... if I see Rufus, that everything would just come boiling back up and hurt me all over again.”   
When Sam didn't say anything, I took it as his way of telling me that I could say more, if I wanted to.   
“Sam, that night... I felt my whole life, everything about myself, just fall apart. My whole life as I knew it had come crashing down, and I didn't even know who I was – I am still learning who I am – and I'm so afraid that all of those feelings will rise back up and knock down all of the progress I've made.” Admitting that made me feel exposed, as if I had just taken all of my clothes off, and not only showed Sam my body, but my entire soul.   
He takes a moment to think, almost as if trying to find the right words to say. After a moment, he finally looks at me and says, “it's okay, Annie. I understand. If you don't want to meet up or talk to Rufus, you don't have to. I just thought... I don't know what I thought,” he says and looks away from me.   
I smile, and tap his arm to get him to look at me again.   
“Thank you, Sam. It means a lot to me that you're trying to think of what's best for me. But maybe right now, all I need is Uncle Bobby, Dean, Ellen and Jo, and... and you,” I brave looking into his eyes.  
His eyes soften and he smiles at me. That damn moose face gets me every time.

The next morning, the sun blazes through my eyelids, insisting that I wake up. I glance over to the other bed to see that Ellen was still fast asleep, as was Jo next to me. I stretch and make my way to the door to see if Uncle Bobby is awake; or maybe Sam will be.   
I grip the knob in my right hand, hesitating a minute. I don't want to wake Jo and Ellen up when I go to open the door...   
I shake my head and turn the knob, spilling sunlight all over me.   
It was a beautiful day, and I knew today would probably be a goof-around day. I smile and walk over to the room next door to see that it's open about 3 inches.   
_What the hell?_  
“Uncle Bobby?” I ask hesitantly.   
When I didn't get an answer, fear floods through me.   
I slowly push the door open, to see the room is empty, their beds still ruffled from sleep.   
“Where is everyone...?” I ask myself. I hear a groaning sound, accompanied by scratching. I follow the sound to the bathroom, and I can feel my heart pounding behind my ribs as I open the door.   
There he is, tied to the pipe under the sink: Dean. There's duct tape across his mouth, his eyes glowing with anger.   
I stand there in awe, then quickly run to him and pull the duct tape off of his mouth like a band-aid.   
“Dean?!”   
“Damn that hurts! Pulls all the little beard hairs -”  
“DEAN!”   
“Sorry! Anyway, I have no idea what the hell happened. All I remember is hearing crashing and when I ran out of the bathroom, I was being shoved back in. I must have... I must have hit my head, because I blacked out.”   
“So... what you're telling me...”   
“I don't know where they are, Annie,” Dean says.   
For the first time since I've met them, I see fear and uncertainty in Dean's eyes.


End file.
